


Hunting and Other Various Related Subjects

by Kierxn



Series: Kieran & Arthur Friendship Time [1]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Can Be Interpreted As Ship?, Chapter 2: Horseshoe Overlook (Red Dead Redemption 2), Friendship, Gen, Horses, Hunting, I'm TOTALLY Not Projecting Here, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Short, very minor angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:41:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27977523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kierxn/pseuds/Kierxn
Summary: “You don’t even know how to hunt?” Arthur asked.Kieran paused for a moment, before shaking his head."I guess I'll have to teach you, then."
Relationships: Kieran Duffy & Arthur Morgan
Series: Kieran & Arthur Friendship Time [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2049141
Comments: 6
Kudos: 14





	Hunting and Other Various Related Subjects

**Author's Note:**

> hi  
> excuse the title im not original and no hozier lyrics fit the story ahaha  
> i had to write and post all of this at school because i got grounded 😃  
> anyways its weird writing about kieran because MY name is kieran and its almost like im writing about myself?  
> anyways ANYWAYS this isnt related to my last kieran & arthur friendship fic theyre both their own things lol  
> anyways ANYWAYS ANYWAYS i hope y'all enjoy my silly little friendship fic <3 <3 <3

“Kieran.”

Arthur’s voice nearly echoed in the small space where the horses were grazing.

Kieran turned around quickly, eyes flashing with a hint of fear before he saw it was Arthur who said his name.

“Hey, mister,” He said softly, turning his attention back to brushing Branwen’s mane. Arthur let out a quiet, amused snort.

“Y’know, you can just call me Arthur.” Arthur smiled a little.

“Oh, uh, sorry sir. Just didn’t want to be impolite, is all..” Kieran replied, voice still meek and hushed.

Arthur, again, nearly guffawed at the young man.

“Ain’t no bein’ impolite with me, boy. All you gotta do is keep yourself from fightin’ me, and we’ll be just fine.”

  
Kieran stayed silent, opting to focus himself on taking care of Branwen. It was a few seconds before Arthur figured out something to say.

“You sure do love that horse, don’t ya?” Arthur said. As he predicted, once he spoke the word “horse”, Kieran’s eyes lit up like an oil lantern.

“Of course I do, sir. Branwen here is my pride and joy,” Kieran’s tone lightened dramatically and there was a smile peeking at the corners of his mouth.

“You take good care of all of them horses, really. Even Trigger, the mean old bastard.” Almost on cue, Arthur’s horse snorted.

“Well, yeah! Horses, caring for horses.. It’s all I really know how to do.” Kieran said, seemingly not sensing the odd sadness behind his words. 

“You don’t even know how to hunt?” Arthur asked.

Kieran paused for a moment, before shaking his head. 

“My parents didn’t last long enough to teach me, and I was really only a horse boy for them O’Driscolls.”   
At that, Arthur let out a grunt of surprise.

“I guess I’ll have to teach you, then.”

Kieran stared at him.   
Arthur stared back.

“Really, sir?” Kieran twiddled with his fingers.

“Of course, boy. I wouldn’t tease you with somethin’ like that.” Arthur grumbled.

“But, the horses-”   
“The horses can wait. Besides, this’ll give ya something to do besides worrying about them.”

Kieran hesitated, but after a few seconds, let out a breath he’d been holding.

“Alright, then. Teach me how to hunt.”

Their trip to the woods didn’t take long, considering how close the spot was to camp. Arthur had known about it for a while, studying the area enough to know which animals were most common and how easy it was to hunt. Through thorough determination (which took a solid five seconds,) Arthur figured it would be the best place for Kieran to start.

“We’re here.” Arthur announced, hopping off Trigger and handing a bow to Kieran.

The man eyed it nervously, but took it with shaking hands.

“That there is a weapon, boy. It ain’t nowhere near a gun, but you’ve gotta treat it with caution.” Arthur grunted. Kieran took a quick breath and visibly tried to steady his hands.

“Now, today’s a good day for hunting, ‘cause the wind isn’t picking up our scent too much. We still gotta be quiet though, the animals ain’t gone deaf.” Arthur’s voice was calm and quiet, with lingering patience in each word. It was almost like a parent talking to a child.

Kieran nodded and crouched, holding the bow with mostly still hands. He squinted a little, looking on the ground for signs of prey.

“You see those tracks? That’s what’s gonna lead us to some deer.” Arthur gestured to the deer tracks a few feet away.

Kieran followed them slowly, eyes darting around every few seconds. Once or twice, a squirrel or rabbit would run past, startling him almost enough to make him squeal. Each time, though, Arthur would grip Kieran’s shoulder and push him forward again.

They tracked the deer for several minutes, leading them to a creek running through the woods. Sunshine reflected brightly off the surface of the water, glistening beautifully. Arthur almost would’ve taken the time to admire it, study it for later, had the deer nearby not distracted him.

“There they are,” he whispered, looking to Kieran beside him. The man’s face showed clear anxiety, brows furrowed and teeth gritted, like he’d been told to lasso a cougar.

“Sir, I.. I don’t think I’m ready.” Kieran mumbled.

Arthur groaned.

“C’mon, now,” He said, trying his hardest to keep his tone level, “I brought you all the way out here to hunt and you ain’t even ready to shoot the animals?”

Kieran looked away.

“You’ll do fine, I’m sure of it. You ain’t gonna disappoint me.”

The moment Arthur said that, Kieran turned back to him, with a wild look of anger in his eyes.

“ _ Disappoint you? _ ” Kieran muttered, gritting his teeth and breathing hard through his nose.

“I ain’t worried about disappointing you, sir. I’m just…” He dug his fingers into the bow’s handle.

Arthur reached out and grabbed his shoulder, to try and comfort him, but Kieran flinched away from the touch. If anything, it seemed to make him even angrier.

“Mister Arthur, I’m  _ scared _ . Every day, y’all’s folks mock me, tease me, torture me.. It’s horrible! Every day, I have to fight for my right to  _ exist,”  _ Kieran said, his hands growing shaky again, “And when you took me out here to hunt, with weapons and all, it just- it scared me! I was  _ scared  _ that you would hurt me if I didn’t do it right!” The man was clearly trying not to yell but as his face grew redder and tears sprung in his eyes, Arthur could tell he was about to start shouting.

“So,  _ no,  _ not ‘ _ worried I’ll disappoint you,  _ I’m scared! And you know what?” Kieran’s voice started raising, but not enough to scare the deer off. Arthur held his breath.

“At least- at least you have people to disappoint!”

With his last sentence, something seemed to be let out of Kieran. He quickly deflated and looked back at the ground, blinking small tears from his eyes and taking deep breaths. 

Something in Arthur’s chest seemed to ache, and he took a few seconds to think. It did make sense for Kieran to be scared, but why was he scared of Arthur? Arthur hadn’t been anything but nice to him-

Then, Arthur thought some more. He  _ had  _ been the first person to tempt Kieran with food, all those weeks ago in Colter. He mocked the boy relentlessly, calling him names (mostly in relation with the O’Driscolls,) and he.. he had been mean, hadn’t he? Kieran really did have a right to be scared.

Arthur grunted, softly. Kieran looked at him with fear in his eyes. Arthur breathed in and nodded.

“You’re right. We’ve been all sorts of rude to ya, even though ya haven’t been rude back. And here I was, thinking the rule had always been ‘treat others how you wanna be treated’..” Arthur laughed a little. It felt inappropriate, but it seemed to loosen Kieran up.

“Really? You’re taking my side in all this?” Kieran asked quietly. Arthur, again, nodded.

“I’m a scary man, I’ll admit, but I just want you to know I ain’t a bad one. I’d never hurt ya over some huntin’.” 

Kieran wiped his face with his sleeve and smiled. 

“I guess it was nice to get that all out. It’s making me feel a whole lot calmer,” Kieran was still quiet, and he glanced over to the deer that were still drinking from the creek. Arthur raised his eyebrows and gestured to them.

“You still wanna try gettin’ one? It’s a pretty easy shot.” 

Kieran nodded, and pulled the bow up. 

Once Arthur got him in the right position, he pulled the strings back, took a breath, and aimed an arrow. It flew through the air, hitting a doe square in the side. The deer let out a final cry as its kin ran right away.

Kieran made a happy noise.

“I did it! I- wow!” He seemed giddy, grinning wide and pointing to the deer carcass. Arthur chuckled.

“Go and get it, now. We’ll load it onto Trigger and head back to camp.”

They got the body, stowed it onto Arthur’s horse, and headed back.    
As they rode, something seemed to be lifted from Arthur’s shoulder, like a weight.

When he thought of Kieran, he didn’t think of that scrawny O’Driscoll kid he’d picked up in the cold, frozen mountains.

He thought of horses, fishing, late nights spent pondering and smoking cigarettes. He thought of a boy- a  _ man _ , who only wanted to stay safe, and maybe make a friend. He thought of Kieran  _ Duffy. _

As they pulled up in camp, a few people greeted them, but most ignored. Arthur didn’t mind it, though, and he helped Kieran bring the deer to Pearson.

As soon as they dropped it off, they started to head their separate ways, but Kieran stopped and turned around. 

“Hey, uh, mister?” He called.

“Hm?” Arthur turned around, too, and smiled at the man.

“Thank you, for taking me hunting, sir. I-”

  
Arthur held his hand up and stopped Kieran.

“You can just call me Arthur.”

“Well, then..

Thank you, Arthur.”

**Author's Note:**

> FUN FACTS ABOUT THIS:
> 
> arthur's horse's name came from the first horse name list google gave me
> 
> this is the SECOND time i wrote about kieran blowing up ... am i projecting? probably!
> 
> the google doc this was written in is labelled "teach me how to HUNT" and i find that funny for some reason


End file.
